


The Forms of Love

by Sirenswhisper



Category: Father Brown (2013)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-24 11:57:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9724763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sirenswhisper/pseuds/Sirenswhisper
Summary: A Valentines Day Fic for everyone in the fandom focusing on the different forms of love: Platonic, Romantic and Familial.Inspector Sullivan has some notes for Lady Felicia on her latest novel.





	

When Lady Felicia had given Inspector Sullivan a copy of her current manuscript she hadn’t really expected him to read it. She figured that if her closest friends wouldn’t read her writing then she couldn’t expect a much newer friend too. She hadn’t meant to become friends with Sullivan, but he’d surprised her. Just as he’d surprised her when he called up that morning asking if he might come visit since he had notes for her on her manuscript. 

When he’d said notes she’d been expecting a few little things. A line edit here or there, a plot point that needed to be addressed or a request for clarification on an element of the story. That he’d read it at all had her smiling all morning. Not even the Rolls breaking down had dampened her spirit. 

Sullivan had been on the way over when the car broke down and he’d pulled beside them as Sid popped his head out of the engine to see who it was. They’d looked at each other with the lingering glances she’d seen them exchange all too often. 

“Can I help at all?” Sullivan asked looking from Sid to Lady Felicia and then back again. 

“You couldn’t take Lady F home, could you? I should have this fixed in an hour or two,” Sid said. 

“No problem. I was just heading over there now.” 

“Perfect. If you can’t fix it, Sid, take it to the garage and I’ll sort it with them later.” Lady Felicia walked around the cars and Sullivan opened the passenger door for her. 

Sid raised his eyebrows when she got in the front beside Sullivan but she just smiled. Sullivan and Sid exchanged one last look that Felicia pretended not to see, then they were driving away. Sid watched them go with a smile and a shake of his head. 

“I must say I was surprised by your telephone call. You didn’t have to read it, you know? Hardly anyone ever does. I suppose I just write them for myself really and pretend it’s in the hopes of getting them published.” 

“I wasn’t sure whether I should telephone or just wait until I next saw you. I don’t know how you prefer to do things around here. Back home my friend, Rosemary, just throws stones at my windows until I let her in. I didn’t think that would go down too well.” Sullivan had a shy smile and Felicia liked the way the rare expression sat on his face. 

“No, I don’t think that would have gone down at all well. Mrs M would be exchanging gossip before the day was out as to whether it was vandalism or romantic.” Felicia laughed and leaned in to whisper. “And we wouldn’t want Sid to get jealous.” 

Sullivan made a choking noise and for a moment it looked like he was going to crash the car. He regained control with a blush on his cheeks and pulled into her driveway. 

“How long have you known?” He wouldn’t look at her and instead stared up at the house as they approached it.

“I know Sid very well. He didn’t have to say anything for me to have my suspicions,” Felicia said. 

“Does that mean Father Brown knows too?” Sullivan asked with a wince.

“We haven’t talked about it, but I expect so. Don’t worry about it. The secret’s safe with him.” 

They got out the car and Sullivan picked up a pile of papers from the backseat that Felicia recognised as her manuscript. 

“I don’t know if you want to go through these in your own time or if you want me to go through them with you.” Sullivan handed the pile over. 

“When you said you had a few notes I didn’t think you meant in so much detail.” Felicia flipped through the pages where the neat blue of Sullivan’s handwriting filled most of the white. “I’ve never had some more care enough to go through it so thoroughly. You’ve really put Father Brown to shame.” 

“I wasn’t intending to write more than a couple of lines but I really enjoyed reading it and I want to see how much you can do with it. I apologise if I’ve over stepped.” 

“Come inside, we’ll have a cup of tea and go through these notes.” Felicia offered him one of her most charming smiles and they went inside together. 

They sat in the sunniest parlour with a tray of tea between them. Felicia spread the pages out in front of her and skimmed through them. 

“You haven’t said much on the story,” She said looking up from the pages and setting them aside. 

“Because that’s not where the problems lie. The plot is intriguing and well thought out or at least I think so. It’s why I kept reading. It helped me relax in the evenings after a trying day, however I can see why you haven’t had much success getting other people to read it. The style comes across to strong, and it throws the reader out. Once you fixed that it’ll be much more appealing to readers.” 

Felicia wanted to protest the criticism but swallowed it down with tea and picked up another page.

“What do you suggest?” She asked after a long pause between them. 

“If I were you I’d go through them in my own time. When I was alone and in good frame of mind. Then I’d work out which of the notes I wanted to follow through and which seem more a matter of preference.” Sullivan sipped his tea. “You don’t have to follow any of them. They’re just suggestions as to what would bring out the best in your story and show your ideas, characters and writing in the best light.” 

“I think I’ll do that.” Felicia smiled and set the manuscript aside. 

Conversation moved on and became easier as they fell back into their usual conversation habits. Felicia hadn’t realised how painful or discouraging getting feedback could be but some of his suggestions did look like good ideas. 

They were discussing dancing when they heard footsteps down the hall and Sid announcing himself with a cough and a triumphant grin. 

“All fixed and picked up Father Brown on the way over,” Sid said. 

Father Brown came in behind and Sullivan’s face lost the casual enjoyment it had had moments before. Felicia wasn’t sure what the problem was between them or if Father Brown was even aware of it, but wanting to safe her friend from pain, she stood up. 

“It’s lovely to see you, Father. I’ve got something I need to talk to you about. I hope you don’t mind me leaving you in Sid’s company?” She addressed the question to Sid and at his nod guided Father Brown out of the room. 

They hovered just beyond the doorway and watched as Sid sat down beside Sullivan and within moments had humour tugging at Sullivan’s lips. 

“You wanted to get them alone?” Father Brown asked in a quiet voice. 

“Not exactly although it was an add bonus. I wanted to get you away from him, actually.” Felicia felt guilty saying it aloud. 

Father Brown opened his mouth and then closed it again. 

“Don’t take this the wrong way but I think you make him uncomfortable. Perhaps even frighten him. He’s unlikely to open up to any of us, but perhaps if we’re all willing he’ll open up to Sid and from there to us all. We’ve become a family of strays and I’d like to have him as our newest member,” Felicia said. 

“He wouldn’t agree.” Father Brown gave her a knowing look. “If we were to come straight out with it he’d turn us down.”

“I know. It would have to be a team effort and rather craftily done.” 

“I suppose it can’t be any harder than it was to get Sid to accept us as family.” Father Brown watched them as he spoke. 

For a moment, Sullivan rested his head on Sid’s arm where it rested on the top of the sofa. Sid didn’t move or protest when Sullivan returned to sitting up straight with a remembered tension. 

“I think perhaps Sid has already started.” Father Brown’s smile was bright. 

“Are you ready to be a father-in-law?” Felicia asked. 

“Yes. Yes I am.” 

Felicia and Father Brown beamed at each other as their mind plotted and they watched as Sid and Sullivan held hands.


End file.
